1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a ferrule mounted to a front end of an optical fiber in order to optically connect the optical fiber with an optical part, such as an optical element on a board or a module or an optical fiber mounted on another connector and to a ferrule with an optical fiber.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a scheme of fixing an optical fiber so that an optical element, such as a light emitting element (e.g., a semiconductor laser) or a light receiving element (e.g., a photo diode) mounted on a board is optically connected with the optical fiber wired along the board and having an optical connector assembled with a front end thereof has been widely used.
When the optical fiber is optically connected with an optical element or another optical fiber, deviation of an axial direction of the optical fiber increases connection loss. Accordingly, it is necessary to position an axis of the optical fiber in order to prevent the increase of the connection loss.
For example, an optical path changing member having an optical-fiber insertion hole into which an optical fiber is inserted, and a front-end arrangement space communicating with the optical fiber insertion hole is described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2009-104096. In the optical path changing member, a front end of the optical fiber is disposed in the front-end arrangement space, which is filled with adhesive to fix the optical fiber to a predetermined position.
Thus, as in the case that an intermediate portion of the optical fiber (an optical fiber portion disposed in the insertion hole) is positioned and the front end of the optical fiber is disposed in the front-end arrangement space to adhere and fix the optical fiber, the adhesive is shrunk when cured, and thus force is applied to the optical fiber in the front-end arrangement space in the lateral direction. As a result, the front end portion of the optical fiber moves and an output direction deviates. Even when a positioning mechanism for positioning the front end of the optical fiber is formed in a ferrule in order to avoid such a problem, it is necessary to precisely match positions of the positioning mechanism for positioning the front end portion and a positioning mechanism for positioning the intermediate portion, making it difficult to mold the ferrule.
The present invention has been achieved in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a ferrule capable of being easily molded and reducing a deviation of an output direction.